Well packer



7 Jan. 30, 1945.

R. c. BAKER WELL PACKER Filed June 25, 1941 EEK/BEN GBAKEIQJ Patented Jan. 30, 1945 wan. PACKER Reuben (in Baker, Coalinga, Calit, assignor to Baker Oil Tools, Inc., Vernon, CaliL, a corporation of California- Application June 23, 1941, semi No. 399,291

2 Claims. (01. 166-12) This invention relates to well devicesfand more particularl to well packers adapted to be anchored in packed ofi condition within a well casing or liner.

Cement retainers and other forms of well pack- I ers are set in packed off condition in casings or liners usually for the purpose of displacing fluids" therethroug h under pressure for passag into the formation. After the desired displacement operation has been performed, the packer is removed from the casing or liner by drilling, acidizing or other means of disintegration. It is an object of the present invention to provide a well packer apparatus of such design as to leave a lesser quantity of packer material in the casing moval of the lower end of the packing sleeve I5 from its assembled position on the body I and in the guide I2.

Similarly, the upper end of the packing sleeve is provided with an external flange I cooperating with an internal flange I! on an expander cone I8 to.form an interlock holding the upper end of the sleeve in assembled position in the cone I8 and against the body ID. The cone is after the desired operation has been performed,

thus facilitating disintegration of the packer and its removal from .the casing.

A further object of the invention is to provide an hydraulically operated well packer which cannot be set prematurely. In this connection, the invention contemplates the prevention of premature setting even ,though circulation is established through the packer.

- This invention has other objects that will become' apparent from a consideration of the embodiment shown in the drawing accompanying slidable on the body and possesses an upwardly converging outer surface I9 cooperable with correspondingly tapered inner surfaces on segmental slips M, to expand the latter outwardly into engagement] with the casing C. The exteriors of the slips are formed as upwardly facing wickers 22 designed to prevent upward movement of the packer when it is anchored to the casing.

The packing sleeve I5 is initially held in retracted position by frangible means 23, such as and forming part of the present specification.

This form will now be described in detail to illustrate the general principles of the invention, but it is to be understood that such detailed description is not to be taken in a limited sense, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the claims appended hereto.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a well casing and packer with parts of the latter in retracted position;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure slips hydraulically expanded against the-casing;

and I Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure l,-with the packer anchored in packed of! condition in the casing.

A tubular well packer body I0 is threadedly connected to a sub I I forming the lower end of a tubular run-in string IA, by means of which the well packer B is lowered through the casing C to the desired setting point. A valve guide or housing I2 is threaded on the lower end of this body II), being provided with an inwardly directed flange I3 defining an internal groove within which is received an outwardly directedflange ll of a packing sleeve I5 encompassing the body. The

two. flanges interlock to prevent inadvertent rel, with the one or more shear screws, securing the cone expander I8 to the packer body I0. By a similar expedient, the slips 2'I are also secured in retracted position by means of shear screws 24 fastening their lower ends to the upper portion of the cone. The upper ends of the slips are engageable with an abutment 25 extending outwardly from a tubular body member 26 threaded on the setting sub I I to form a separate removable upper extension of the main tubular body II] of the well packer. The tubular body member 26 and sub I I may be considered collectively as an upper body member threadedly connected to the lower body member Ill.

The slips 2I are releasable for gripping engagement with the casing by hydraulic action, the

fluid passing from the tubular string A and the' interior of the main body I0 through the ports 21 into the interior of the packing sleeve I5. Leakage of fluid between th body and sleeve is prevented by the opposed lip seals 28, 28 near the ends ofthe sleeve, which are slidably engageable with the exterior of the body. In the specific'tool disclosed, the dropping or lowering of a tripping ball 29 through the tubular string for engagement with a tripping ball seat 30 in the lower end of the guide I2 enables suflicient pressure to be developed within the tubing string A, body III, and packing sleeve I5 to elongate the latter in an upward direction and exert a longitudinal force capable of shearing the screws 23 fastening the cone I8 to the body, and then the screws 24 attaching the slips 2| to the cone, whereupon the cone is shifted upwardly along the main body I0 and adjoining removable body member 26 and within the slips. Since these slips cannot move upwardtherein can move upwardly during this packing 01f operation, which means that the main body In is moved upwardly with respect to the cone to permit the locking engagement of a split, contractile lock ring 3| provided in an internal groove 32 in the cone with one of the annular ratchet teeth 33 formed. on the exterior of the main packer body, thus preventing return downward movement of the body it) with respect to the cone I8 and positively securing the slips 2i and packing I5 in firm engagement with the casing.

In view of the fact that the upper body member 26 and its abutment 25, as well as the sub I I, serve no useful purposes after the slips 2! have been set and the packing sleeve I5 compressed. they need not remain in the well bore after the desired well operation has occurred. Accordingly, rotation of the tubing string A to the right will effect an unscrewing of the sub H from the main packer body I0, whereupon elevation of the tubing string withdraws both the sub and the removable body 26 and abutment 25 from the well bore, leaving the remainder of the well packer anchored in the casing. This operation can readily occur since the slips 2| and cone I8 are below the upper removable body member 26 after the packer is fully set in packed ofi condition within the casing.

The well packer can be used advantageously merely by incorporating the parts heretofore described. The construction disclosed in the drawing includes additional features, whereby passage of fluid under pressure from the interior of the main body I into the packing sleeve I is positively controlled from the surface of the bore by either opening or closing the ports 21. The control device consists of a sleeve valve extension 34 depending from the sub II, which is slidably engageable with opposed packing seals 35, 36 disposed in internal grooves 31, 38 in the body at opposite sides of its ports. The position of this extension 34 with respect to the seals is determined by rotating the tubular string A in either direction. Since left hand threads are preferred in connecting the sub It with the main body Ill and removable body 26, rotation of the tubular string to the right elevates the depending control sleeve 34 and moves its lower end 340. above the lower seal 36, permitting fluid under pressure to pass from within the sub II around its lower end, through the space between the extension 34 and packer body I0, and into the ports 21 for expansion of the elongate packing I5. Conversely, rotation of the tubular string to the left effects a lowering of. the sub I l and a closing of the ports by engagement of the exterior of the control sleeve 34 with both slidable ring seals 35, 36. I

In order for rotation of the sub II to occur with respect to the body Ill of the packer in controlling the ports 21, the body II! is prevented from rotating through the agency of the upper body 26, which is releasably coupled to the main or grooves 42 formed at spaced points'around the removable body 26, being urged outwardly into engagement with the wall of the casing by springs d3 received within sockets 44 in each member and bearing against the bottoms of the grooves 42. Outward movement of these friction members 4| under the influence of the springs is limited by the rings 35 secured to the removable body 25 by screws 46 and overlapping into the slots 42 to engage the reduced ends Mu, of the friction members.

In use, the wall of the casing C forces the friction members 4! inwardly against the action of the springs 43, thereby creating enough drag to hold the upper member 26 from rotating, and correspondingly preventing rotation of the main body ID, because of the coupling 39, t0. Rotation of the tubular string A and its sub It can therefor occur without rotary movement of either the removable body member 26 or the main body member I0, although the friction members 4| do not prevent longitudinal translation of the packer B in the casing. To preclude sand or other foreign material from passing between the re movable body 26 and the sub II, a seal 5'! may be provided in a groove at the upper end of the removable body for slidable engagement with the exterior of the sub.

For the purpose of preventing return flow of fluids through the packer after it has been anchored in packed off condition in the casing, a back pressure valve may be employed. As disclosed in the drawings, this consists of a ball 48 adapted to move upwardly to engage a valve seat 49 formed at the lower end of the main body Ill. This valve seat may include a rubber or other elastic sealing ring 50 to prevent leakage around the ball.

When running the tool B in the well casing with the various members in retracted position (Figure 1), the sub II is threaded into both bodies I0, 26 .of the packer to its fullest extent,

in which position spaced fingers 5I depending I from the lower end of the sleeve 34 hold the valve ball 48 in a downward position removed from its cooperable seat 49. Fluid may therefore pass freely in both directions-through the well packer B, between the fingers 5i and around the ball 48. Downward movement of this ball is limited by its engagement with the spaced ribs 52 extending inwardly of the guide member I2, the fluid by-passing around the ball and between these ribs for exit through the tripping ball seat 30 at the lower end of the guide. When the sub I I is in this position, fluid under pressure is also prevented from entering the body ports 21 to expand the packing sleeve l5 and set the packer. As a result, fluid may be pumped downwardly through the tubular string. and well packer for the purpose of performing washing, circulating, or other operations within the well bore without fear of prematurely tripping and setwardly extending ribs 52 to engage its com panion seat 30. Turning of the tubular string a sufiicient number of times to the right elevates 2,868,899 the string and its sub until the lower, circumferentially continuous end 34a of the sleeve 34 is above the lower sealing ring 36 (Figure 2).

" ure 3).

An increase'in the pressure within the tubing string above a predetermined value shears the screw 53 holding the tripping ball seat 30 in the lower end of the guide or valve housing l2, and enables the seat 30 to be pumped from the packer.

The desired cementing operation ,under pres sure, or other operation, may now take place within the casing in a known manner, return flow of the fluid from below the packer being prevented by engagement of the back pressure ball 48 with its seat 49. v

If desired, after the slips 2| have been set and the packing sleeve I5 compressed, the pressure within the packing sleeve may be retained and prevented from dissipating, if the pressure in the tubular string is subsequently decreased, by turning the tubular string A in the proper direction, as to the left, to shift the sub and its sleeve 34 downwardly again until its lower end 34a again seals over the'lower sealing ring 36. The fluid under pressure will now be trapped within the packing sleeve l5 and cannot be dissipated. After the cementing, acidizing, or other operation in the well bore has been completed, the tubular string A may be turned to the right, to elevate the sub II with respect to the body, and permit the back pressure ball 48 to engage its cooperableseat 49 at the lower end of the main body "I. A continuation of this rotation unscrews the sub from the main body H), after which upward elevation of the tubing string A lifts the coupling studs 39 from the sockets 40 and removes the upper body member 26 together with the friction members 4| to the surface of the bore, since the sub although unthreaded from the main body I0, is still in threaded engagement with the removable body 26. As a precaution against unscrewing of the sub II from this upper body 26, it is provided with an inwardly ex tending abutment 54 engageable with a corresponding stop .55 at the upper threaded end of the sub. This not only limits the extent of threading of the sub upwardly into the upper body member, but also insures against complete disconnection between the two.

' It is apparent that .a well packer has been devised which leaves a lesser quantity of metal in the well casing to be removed. This not only effects a savings in the cost of manufacturing devices of this character, but also results in a sav-' ings to the operator,'who can dispose of the packer from the well bore with less effort and in a shorter period of time. The removable body 26 with its abutment 25, friction members 4| and the sub can be employed over and over again. Moreover, premature'settingof the packer when circulation becomes essential prior to its setting is positively prevented, which offers assurance of.

setting the packer only at the desired point in the well casing, and not at any other point there- I claim:

1. A device of the character described includingseparate upper and lower tubular body members, means coupling said members together against relative rotation but permitting longitudinal separation therebetween, slips engageable with said upper body member when in retracted position, fluid actuated means slidable along said upper body member for moving said slips radially into gripping engagement with a well casing within a well bore, said lower member having ports for directing fluid under pressure from said lower body member to said fluid actuated means, tubu lar means threadedly attached to both of said body members and operable from the top of saidv well bore for controlling passage of fluid through said ports so that such fluid can operate said fluid actuated means, and friction means on said upper body member cooperable with said casing for resisting rotary movement of said body members to permit rotation of said tubular means with respect thereto. 2. A device of the character described adapte to be lowered in a wellcasing on a tubular string, including separateupper and lower body members, means releasably connecting said body mem bers together, said upper body member having an abutment, slips engageable with said upper body member when in retracted position, a conical expander for anchoring said slips to said casing, a normally retracted packing sleeve surrounding said lower body and having its upper end fixed to said conical expander, and means for directing fluid under pressure from said lower body member to said packing sleeve to elongate the latter and shift said conical expander up- 1 wardly along said upper body member within said The packer body elements are preferably made slips for moving them against and along said abutment radially into gripping engagement with said casing, said body members being movable longitudinally in an upward direction after engagement of said slips with said casingto expand said packing sleeve against said casing and elevate the upper body member away from both said slips and conical expander to enable said upper body member to be disconnected from said lower body member.

Y REUBEN C. BAKER. 

